Sweet Nothings 2

Jack was bending over into an empty display case as he refilled it with his signature chocolate cupcakes. They were the very ones that put him on the map and made it possible to open up his dream shop. Sweet Nothings was his pride and joy. The French inspired Bakery and Bistro has thus far been his greatest achievement. He could hear the distant ching of the cash register as he placed the last of the cupcakes from his baking tray into the case. The sound of money always put a smile on his face. It was just a few weeks until Valentines and by far one of the busiest holiday's he faced every year. The challenges of running a small business reared its ugly head around this time. He employed a small staff and when times became this hectic he was forced to make everyone including himself work extra hard. This usually meant long days and late nights for him in order to make the deadlines of all the orders he received. He was lucky that most of his staff had been with him since the beginning and had pretty much become family, so they were always more than willing to step up and take on the necessary responsibility.

The continued ching ching of the register must have drowned out the ring of the telephone because he never heard it, but the panicked voice of his cashier, Trudy, ripped him from his meandering thoughts before he had a chance to retreat to his kitchen.

"Jack, I'm so sorry but I have to go! Jesse's been taken to the hospital, he's real sick. I'm so sorry; I know this is a bad time." She was removing her black cotton apron with the Sweet Nothings logo printed across the front as the panic in her voice became more than evident. Jack had no idea what it would be like to find out your 6 year old son has been rushed to the emergency room.

"Oh, man Trudy. Don't worry we'll be okay, you just take care of Jesse. Go on get out of here, send him my love okay?" Trudy grabbed her handbag from under the counter and in a blink of an eye she was gone. Damn, now what was he going to do? He couldn't bake and take care of the front counter. He suddenly became aware of about a dozen eyes boring into him like lasers. There were a hand full of customers waiting to place their orders. Some were locals getting their usual while on their lunch break and others were placing orders for the upcoming Valentine holiday. Shit!

**********

It was almost closing time when the rush finally died down and he could take in a long deep breath, the relief that it was almost over washed over him. He had survived. Luckily he had a well trained staff of assistance in the kitchen that got them through the day. There was Chuck the chef that managed the food that was served at the Bistro and his sue chef Ronny. They were both geniuses when it came to good food. Then there were his personal assistance Tom and Laura who helped him with the baking and decorating. Laura in particular was a true artist when it came to cake decorating. If it wasn't for this group he would have never made it through the day. However if he didn't find some help fast he definitely would not make it to Valentine's Day that's for sure. He had gotten a call from Trudy that afternoon and thanks to the powers that be, Jesse will be fine but he needs to stay home from school for the next two weeks, which means so does Trudy. He'll never make his deadlines without some help. He has a part time girl that helps out on the weekends and some nights but she goes to college full time so she can't pick up the slack while Trudy's gone. There were only two weeks left until Valentine's Day and he already had more orders than he knew what to do with and that didn't include his daily business. What the fuck was he going to do now! He raked his hand through his sandy blond hair leaning against the back counter facing the cash register. He was so engrossed in thought he almost didn't hear the woman who had walked right up to him and started talking.

"Um, excuse me. You seem pretty busy here. I've been waiting for things to slow down a little so I could talk with you. You wouldn't by any chance be hiring right now would you? I'm new to the city and I've been everywhere looking for work but I guess with the economy and all no one seems to be hiring. You're my last stop and quite frankly my last hope." Victoria didn't mean to sound so desperate, but she was. And after a day's worth of disappointment she had lost all sense of decorum and was resorting to groveling.

Suddenly Jack was blinded by the bright light of salvation. He couldn't even focus on the woman who had spoken. The only thing that penetrated his fog of despair were the words that came from her lips. Thank God!!

***********

"I can do just about anything. I can wash dishes or wait on tables. I can handle a cash register or mop floors. I'll pretty much do anything." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other while fiddling with a piece of paper in her hand. "I have a resume." She lifted her hand out and nervously extended the paper towards Jack.

Jack was so excited he jumped forward from where he had been standing before she had approached him. He grabbed the paper from her hand and only glanced at the heading that showed her name.

"Victoria is it? Well I have to say you couldn't have showed up at a better time, because you pretty much had me from the moment you asked if I was hiring." At that moment his hazel eyes locked with hers and he about stumbled over himself. He was attempting to walk around the counter and size her up to make sure he got a good vibe from her, like she could handle the job. All though at this point it didn't really matter. That was the first time he actually looked at her. She was a tiny little thing with a slender waist and fairly large breasts for someone her size. She was wearing a fitted black pencil skirt that hugged her hips and thighs just right and stopped about mid calf. The strappy four inch heels she wore showed off her dainty well manicured feet, for a second he wondered what those feet attached to those killer legs would look like thrown over his shoulder.

Focus, Jack,

focus

. Her sizzling red silk blouse was buttoned low to show off just a hint of the swell of her breasts. Of course the heart shaped pendent she wore around her slender neck that hung just above her cleavage helped show off her ample chest as well. She had the most beautiful ebony hair that trailed soft silky waves down to the middle of her back. As gorgeous as she was it was her eyes that intrigued him. They were as dark as the midnight sky. He had never seen eyes so dark before. Then she batted her long lush lashes at him and he about came undone. He was grateful for the apron he was wearing; he hoped it was hiding his obvious attraction to her.

Damn keep it together Jack, you need her. You don't want to scare her off before she's even started.

He swallowed hard, cleared his throat and asked, "So when can you start?"

*************

She couldn't believe it, she finally landed a job. Okay so maybe it wasn't her dream job but after weeks and weeks of nothing but rejection it was something. At least she would be able to pay the bills. Beside there was a bonus, her boss was HOT. She had hoped he hadn't noticed her drooling all over herself when he stepped in front of her. He was tall with short scruffy blond hair. He had a bit of that five o'clock shadow coming through along his chiseled jaw line that made him look rugged and very masculine. His broad shoulders made her think about running her fingers along his chest. When he finally removed his apron and leaned back against the counter in front of her she got a glimpse of his rippled abs as his t shirt was pulled tight against his body.

For

God's sake Vic he's your boss. You've got to keep it professional, you need this job.

She walked into her small studio apartment and dropped onto the hide a bed as she started to peel her shoes from her aching feet. Damn heels, why did she torture herself with these things? Okay so they made her feel sexy and just a little taller. She was only 5'2 but with those heels she was at least 5'4 maybe even 5'5. She didn't feel like such a midget when she wore them. Of course that didn't change the fact that they felt like she had razor blades piercing her skin all day. Oh well that was the price you paid to look good.

After she had stripped down to her bra and panties she settled in with a glass of wine and a pint of Ben and Jerry's in celebration of her new job and handsome boss. She lived alone so there was no need for modesty, besides she was comfortable with her body. It was her boyfriend or rather ex boyfriend now, that had a problem with it. She found him screwing around with some tall lanky toothpick with blond hair. So who needs him, good riddance. He was the reason she was in this mess anyway. He had charged up her credit cards then stiffed her on the rent. When she lost her job she thought she was going to lose it. But now thanks to Jack and his Sweet Nothings things were starting to look up.

************

The next two weeks went by in a haze of chocolate and fondant. Jack couldn't have asked for a better cashier than Victoria or Vic as she liked to be called. Vic was much more than a cashier, stepping into many roles as were necessary. She had even shown him how he could make some small changes to his overhead expenses saving him a boat load of money every year. This girl was a keeper; of course that was the problem. He wanted to keep her all right but as much more than just his employee. He couldn't get her off his mind and when she was standing close he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her soft sweet lips. He always managed to control himself though. As much as he wanted her she was still an employee and that would be inappropriate,

wouldn't it?

She was killing him though; everyday she wore something innocently provocative. She seemed to be completely unaware of how she affected him. Today was no exception. She had on a pair of skin tight jeans that showed off the full roundness of her ass and a low cut wrap around blouse with it tied in a neat little bow at the side of her waist, in her favorite shade of cranberry red. And let's not forget about the black suede boots with a four inch heel that came just below the knee. How she got through the day in those things he'd never know. That damn bow at her waist was all he could think about. She was like a present waiting to be unwrapped. Every time she walked past him he caught her scent of sweet vanilla and spicy orange, all his favorite things. Damn, all he wanted this Valentines' was to reach out and touch her, well okay so he wanted to do a lot more than that. Putting his libido aside for a moment she really had been a great addition to his staff and wanted to show his appreciation. He had a special surprise waiting for her after the store closed; it was Valentine's Day after all. They had spent a lot of time together over the past two weeks and had learned a lot about her including her dead beat ex. What he did to her made his blood boil and if he ever had the misfortune of meeting him he'd make sure his fist made a lasting impression. He figured she could use a little pick me up, let her know someone cared and appreciated her just the way she was. He didn't know why he felt so protective of her. There was something about her that made him want to take care of her, not that she needed to be taken care of. Vic was a more than capable woman but she had this sexy vulnerability about her he found endearing.

There was only 20 minutes left until closing and he couldn't wait.

***********

There was only a few minutes left before closing time and Vic was getting a bit nervous.

She had bought Jack a Valentine's gift and was anxious about giving it to him. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression but he had been so nice to her and she couldn't thank him enough for giving her a job. When she saw the coin bank in the shape of a cupcake she couldn't resist. It wasn't much but she hoped he would appreciate the gesture. She wasn't sure his male sensibilities would know what to do with a cupcake bank but she thought he could use it as a kind of a tip jar or something. All though he made his living baking cupcakes he was definitely as male as they come. Tall, muscled, rugged and masculine right down to his very male musk she had become very accustomed to. When sex experts talked about pheromones and stuff she thought it was a bunch of crap but after spending a few weeks with Jack it all made sense. Whenever he was near, her knees would go week and as soon as she caught his scent her pussy would ache and the moisture would build between her legs. Damn, she never wanted anyone as bad as she wanted Jack. What she wouldn't give to wrap her legs around his waist and feel his hands all over her body. Those hands looked like they knew their way around a lot more than just a kitchen. Oh well, he was her boss and she would have to keep her desire for him in check.

Closing time!!!

************

After Jack locked up they began the usual clean up routine. The kitchen staff put all the food and related cooking gear away and wiped down the counters, cleaned the stoves and ovens and sanitized all food prep areas. Vic started cleaning the front of the shop. She would wipe down the inside of the cases and all front counters then clean up all the tables. Jack helped her put all the chairs up onto the tables so she could sweep and mop.

After he took all the money from the register he excused himself to his office to secure the funds.

Once he had put the days deposit in the safe he went back to the kitchen and let his two assistance go home. After they had left through the back door he peaked in on Vic to make sure she was still busy. When he was satisfied that she would be occupied for a little bit longer he went back to his office to prepare the surprise he had planned for her.

When he was done he stepped back to observe his work. Okay it was probably a bit much but it was too late to change anything now. Hopefully she wouldn't think he was a complete idiot. Well here goes nothing.

"Hey Vic, it looks great out here, as usual." He said with a smile. "You don't have to rush out of here do you? No hot date for Valentine's Day or anything?" He was hoping he sounded casual and laid back, not nervous and insecure which was what he was really feeling.

"No hot dates. Just me, myself and I with a bottle of wine. How' bout you?"

"Well now that you mention it, I was of kind of hoping to spend it with you." Vic had been mopping the floor when he said that. She stopped what she was doing and looked over at him. Jack had been standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen just casually leaning up against the jam watching her.

"You do?" She had a surprised look on her face, as though that was the last thing she expected him to say.

"Well, yeah." Jack had pushed himself away from the doorway and was walking towards her. "I couldn't have gotten through these last weeks without you, Vic. I know you've had it rough the last few months and with all you've done for me I just want to show you how much I appreciate you." He grabbed her hand and started to lead her towards the back. "Come on I've got a surprise for you."

He led her to his office which was quite a large space. There was a large mahogany desk at the far end of the room flanked by filing cabinets and a bookshelf. When you first walk in he had a small love seat he used for napping when he spent long nights filling orders. Opposite that there was a small round table that usually had a lamp on top and two chairs. Tonight he had pulled the table to the center of the room with the chairs positioned on either side and the lamp was missing. In its place were a vase with the most beautiful red roses she had ever seen and the only light in the room came from the dozens of candles that were burning all around. There was also a bottle of champagne and one of his signature cupcakes in front of each chair. The look on her face was of complete amazement.

"I hope this doesn't seem inappropriate but I just wanted to do something nice for you." he said almost a little embarrassed.

"No, it's perfect. No one's ever done anything like this for me before."

He held out one of the chairs for her prompting her to have a seat then he took his place on the other side.

"That's a shame, Vic. Someone should be doing things like this for you all the time, you deserve it." His Hazel eyes sparkled in the candle light as he poured them both a glass of champagne. "Here you have to taste the cupcake. I know you haven't had the chance to try one yet and everyone who works here has to have one. Job requirement."

Vic took a bite out of the outrageously large cake piled high with butter cream frosting.

Immediately her eyes rolled back and she let out a sigh of complete bliss. "Oh, Jack this is amazing!"

He could not have expected her reaction to be such a turn on, but like everything she did, it was. "I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I got you something too." She jumped from her seat and ran out of the room. When she returned she had a box wrapped in pretty red paper with a crimson bow on top. "Here, this is for you. Happy Valentine's Day, Jack.

Damn, he loved the way his name sounded on her lips. He took the box and unwrapped it tossing the paper on the floor. When he pulled the cupcake bank out of the box he started to laugh. "This is great, where did you find this? I love it!" As he started to inspect it he heard something inside. "What, did you put money in here too?"

"Not exactly, take it out." She was sitting on the edge of her seat in anticipation.

Jack found the black stopper and pulled it from its spot removing a silver heart shaped trinket no bigger than a quarter. Engraved on it was simply

Thank You, Vic.

.

"Hearts are my thing. I hope it's not too corny." She ran her finger through the frosting of the cupcake she hadn't finished eating yet trying not to make eye contact.

"No, it's awesome. I just don't know what you'd be thanking me for." He said as he placed the bank on the table and ran a thumb across the engraving. Right away he was drawn to the heart pendent she always wore around her neck thinking how he'd love to see her wearing it and nothing else.

"Jack, you gave me a job when I really needed one and you've been a great boss.

Case in point." She said waving her arm over the table.

When his eyes made their way back to her face he noticed she had a bit of frosting on her upper lip. Without even thinking he stood up walked over to her and placed his lips on hers running his tongue along her lip tasting his favorite butter cream mingled with her natural sweetness. That was it, there was no going back and quite frankly he didn't want to.

Her hands slipped into his hair and she groaned into him. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped into her mouth. He grabbed her by the nape of her neck and pulled her close bringing her out of her chair. She pressed her body against his, her breasts smashed against his chest. Without even noticing he had moved them a few feet towards the love seat. He pulled her down onto him as he lowered himself onto the soft cushions.

Her legs spread to straddle him and he buried his hands in her raven hair pulling her head back to expose her neck as he trailed his tongue down the length of it nipping her skin with his teeth and sucking her flesh into his mouth. Her soft moans escaped with every lick and suck. She started unbuttoning his shirt and when all the buttons were unfastened she started to run her fingers along his shoulders slowly removing his shirt from his body. He immediately followed suit and got his Valentine wish of unwrapping her. He grabbed a piece of the fabric that was holding the bow on her blouse and gently pulled. The blouse fell open exposing a silky red bra that clasped in the front. He quickly discarded the garment and her ample breasts spilled out before him. He sucked in one dark peak and another series of groans made their way into the room. One hand made its way down her back to her slender waist and the other held onto a soft globe that felt so good under his palm. Her lips were near his ear when she whispered into it, her breath feather light against his skin, "Jack, make love to me." Then she brushed her lips over his skin sending a shiver through him. He thought he could have exploded right there and he hadn't even taken his pants off yet. His hands made their way down to her legs finding the zipper of her boots and started to remove them. When they were no longer an obstacle he found the zipper of her jeans. She stood up to allow him to peel them from her body taking her lace panties with them, and just as he imagined, there she was completely naked with just that heart pendent shimmering against her silky skin in the glow of the candle light. He reached up and trailed a thumb along the pendent then laid his hand flat against the flesh between her breasts and ran it down the length of her. He stopped at her flat stomach using that same thumb to trace a circle around her navel. Her head fell back and he could feel the silky strands of her hair tickle the fingertips of his other hand that had made its way around her waist and had rested at the low of her back.